Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:37 pm on 18 May 2022.
Thank you very much, Llywydd. Thank you for every contribution to this important debate today and for the Minister's response. This is an area that has been neglected for far too long, and it's remarkable that it has been neglected for so long. There has been, I think, some sort of awakening—and I'm not talking about Wales specifically there, but more generally. I note the work in England, for example, on the women's health strategy, which has been welcomed there. We, as the health committee, as we've heard already, are doing work in this area, and I'm grateful to Joyce Watson for pushing to ensure that that happens. Here in Wales, we've heard the Minister today talking about the range of steps that she intends to take. We see in the Government's amendment a reference to the quality statement and the NHS plan that is to come. If I heard correctly, from a Member who has left the Chamber now, we were accused of grandstanding. I was hoping to ask her to explain if that's what she had said, but she's not here to do that.
I understand that Senedd.tv has crashed this afternoon, possibly because so many people are viewing this session—that's how important this is. And the truth is, hearing words from the Minister in itself isn't enough. I welcome the words, but what's important is what's going to happen from now on.
The Member, again who is absent, had suggested that our debate today wasn't timely because the Minister had made comments recently about the plans that she is going to develop. But do you know what? I will take advantage, we'll all take advantage, of those positive messages. There are Labour Ministers in place since 1999, so you can't find fault with us for doubting what's happening under the Ministers here. But what's important is that this is the right opportunity to push a Minister who says that she is determined to make a difference in this field. I know that the Deputy Minister with responsibility for mental health is very keen to make a difference in that field, and that's why I'm pushing so hard on her to do so, because I think that there is an open door there. It is up to you, as a Government, to prove that your words are words that can be turned into reality.
There are so many elements to what we've discussed and heard about this afternoon. We have the conditions that affect women only, and where there have been terrible weaknesses in research and in investment—endometriosis we've heard about already, which means that so many women are living in pain every day. And we haven't even given them the respect of investing in the research that could discover what exactly is causing this so that we can make an investment in finding a way of treating endometriosis.
We can draw attention to support for women who are going through the menopause: half of our population—half of our population—go through the menopause. And until recently, there was not much mention of it, and at best, at best, the provision available in Wales is inconsistent—and that's being kind. There are women in all parts of Wales who cannot access the care that they require.
Three in every four pregnant women take some form of medication during their pregnancy—where is the research in finding out what's safe to take as medication during pregnancy and while breastfeeding? There is a need for investment in that.
Those are some issues that are specific to women. And then you have issues that are relevant to the whole population, but where there is a bigger impact on women, because of lack of attention, lack of investment, lack of taking it seriously, lack of consideration of the specific needs of women—inequality between women and men, as simple as that.